Turning The Tables
by JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: People gossip about Jen and Chris's relationship to the point they finally decide to just go with the flow and give the folks more than what they bargained for.


starts a rumor that we're dating, so let's turn the tables. (Pirk)

Jen crept into Chris Pike's office in a secretive, wary manner, unlike the normal cheery barging in and interrupting whatever he was doing.

The admiral raised his eyebrow at the unusual sight.

"This is different," he commented. "Afraid to be seen with me? Or did you tick off Komack and are hiding from his goons?"

"Neither," she sighed, plopping into the chair across from him. "It's a long story and you might not want to know."

"Try me," He said.

"After we got back from that Conference on Tellar, somebody got it into their heads that we…...are a couple."

The eyebrow went even higher.

"I know, it's absurd. We may have been seen together a lot, but how they made the leap to suggesting we're in some sort of romance, I have no idea. I've been hearing about it a lot from superiors and subordinates alike and I'm about ready to report harassment soon."

Chris frowned. Sure, he'd heard a few rumors himself, but hadn't paid attention, because that happened to pretty much everyone in the public eye.

"What level of relationship do they think we have?" He inquired.

"I've been asked what you're like in bed," Jen said bluntly, causing the admiral to pinch the bridge of his nose in an expression of long suffering annoyance. Of course, they didn't have to guts to ask him the prying questions and Jennifer had to bear the brunt of the whole mess.

"What did you tell them?" He asked curiously, trying not to wonder if she'd ever actually thought about him that way.

"I said to ask you if they wanted to know so bad." Jen said. "Don't think I wasn't tempted to make up some really kinky, overly detailed description, but that wouldn't help things any."

"Naughty woman," he chuckled. "Thank you for refraining from spreading wild tales about me. I'm sure it was difficult."

"It was," she teased. "You know how I enjoy stirring up trouble. This could actually be pretty fun."

"How?" He inquired warily, seeing a sneaky grin light up her face.

"Well, since technically there's nothing prohibiting any such relationship anyway, now that I'm a responsible Captain, I thought why not turn the tables, play up to the crowds. Make them squirm a little."

"You're evil," he chuckled shaking his head. "Don't you think that could be a little dangerous? Playing with Fire much?"

Jen looked at him. "It's not playing with Fire if there's already a spark there. Just saying. Be good practice for when I start flirting with you for real."

Chris was speechless for a minute. Jen had given no indication that she was interested in him that way. In fact, he was the one person she'd NEVER flirted with.

"If you're not interested that's fine," She backtracked quickly. "It was just one of my crazy schemes to flabbergast people. You know I live for that."

"I wouldn't say that I'm not interested," Chris said carefully. "Just that I'm terrible with the fairer sex. It's well documented."

Jen snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, Yeah, I've heard. But Those women were expecting you to be something you weren't. I've heard you really flirting before. You're pretty darn good when you want to be."

"And you want to be the recipient of said mediocre flirting?" Chris asked, smile of his own appearing.

"Yep." Jen said without hesitation. "If only you knew the troubles I've had to hold back this long."

She sighed dramatically and batted her eyelashes coquettishly at him, causing Chris to blush like a schoolboy, much to his deep annoyance. Okay, so he had been harboring a crush on her for awhile, never intending on saying a word to Jen.

Jen pumped her fist in triumph. "I knew it! I knew it! You DO get flustered. This is very promising. C'mon, join me in my evil schemes. I want to make Spock's eyebrows disappear under his bangs."

The following afternoon, First Officer Spock witnessed a sight that DID raise his eyebrow to unfathomable heights.

"Nyota," He asked his wife as they enjoyed a leisurely meal at their favorite restaurant. "Does my vision require correction or did I witness Admiral Pike and the Captain exchanging intimate gestures?"

After a glance in the direction Spock was looking, the lieutenant's jaw dropped, and she began to grin.

"Oh, you're as keen-eyed as ever, darling. Jen was definitely giving Chris the eye—and he was giving it right back, not to mention the kiss on her neck. Well, well, well. So the rumors are true after all. I'm going to look forward to grilling her about this." Nyota's smile was part gleeful, part sharklike.

Leonard McCoy was transfixed when he entered Jen's office upon being summoned and found her sharing the chair with the Admiral, both acting like smitten teenagers.

"Uh, I'll come back later," he said, awkwardly putting down the supplements she'd requested and retreating, with a dark look at Chris.

"Don't go, Bones," Jen entreated, carefully getting up. "I promise I'll behave in front of you. Chris makes it so easy to forget where I am…." she aimed a sappy smile at the Admiral.

"I'm hurt you didn't tell your best friend," Leonard said, feigning a grieved expression. He'd suspected Jen had a thing for Chris, but it didn't appear to be going anywhere. Evidently, the Admiral had finally gotten a clue.

"It only happened, like, yesterday, and you were working a long shift, so I thought it could wait," Jen apologized. "Sorry for the surprise."

"Oh, no you ain't," Leonard retorted. "I know you, infant. You totally did this on purpose." He narrowed his eyes at Chris again, who conceded the point with a nod, but looked completely unrepentant.

"Just be good to her, you know?" He told Chris. "She deserves to be treated right and I'm not all that good at hiding bodies, though they'd never trace it back to me."

Jen's eyes bugged out at Bones's casual not-so-veiled threat. His protective streak was showing again and she didn't know how to react. Luckily, Chris took it in good stride.

"I agree" he said smoothly. "She does deserve all the happiness and I can promise you, I won't hurt her."

After staring at Chris for a few more seconds, Bones at last sighed and seemed to be pacified.

"Fine. Just… spare me the details. She has this annoying tendency to overshare at times."

Jen blushed and wrinkled her nose, but Leonard had disappeared before she could think up a witty comeback.

"Well, he'll act all put out for a few days, then start teasing me about you," Jen said. "That's How it goes."

"Nice to know he cares, though," Chris added, getting up and joining Jen. "I have no doubt he'd do away with me in a heartbeat, quickly and quietly, should I mistreat you in anyway."

"Yeah, But you won't," Jen said confidently, seizing his hand. It was rough and rather veiny, but it was his. "I like flirting with you, Chris," she said affectionately.

"Back at you, Jen," Chris returned, with an adorable grin. "Which of our friends will we scandalize next?" He brought her hand up and brushed his lips across it, causing Jen to swoon inwardly. He claimed he was Bad with women? Completely untrue, in her case.

"I don't know, but I look forward to finding out," she breathed.


End file.
